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Thursday, January 29, 2015

What is Your Skin Saying to You?

Photo courtesy to Flickr user briteside913


What Your Skin Has To Say
The body’s largest living organ weighs anywhere from six to nine pounds and has a total body area of about 20 square feet. It’s your skin. And it has a lot of room to talk! Your skin does an extraordinary amount for your health and well-being, and one of its most fundamental responsibilities is communication.

Skin loves to talk. But are we always listening? Here a few examples of how your skin communicates when it experiences compromising conditions and when it’s time for you to speak up on your body’s behalf.

Blue and purple veins running up your legs
Do not be alarmed, as varicose veins are very common in women, people older than 50 and during pregnancy. They occur when the blood does not circulate as it should, causing it to back up and gather into the vein. This backup is the reason it pools and bulges.

A few ways to prevent or help varicose veins is to exercise regularly and wear compression hose. If the veins become warm and tender to the touch, let your health care provider know.

Dark red lines on your palms
You do not need to be a fortune teller to read these signs that may appear on the palms of your hands. Dark red lines on your palms and other areas of skin may indicate an adrenal insufficiency or endocrine disorder commonly known as Addison’s disease. An endocrine disorder will usually display itself on skin folds, lips, scars and pressure points. It has many signs and symptoms ranging from low blood pressure to severe pain. Make sure you are listening to your body and contact your health care provider as soon as possible if you experience any of these symptoms.

Yellowish skin or orange palms
When your thyroid does not produce enough important hormones, it upsets the chemical balance of your body and causes hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism may be detected by a yellowish skin tone, orange palms, dry and cold skin, a swollen face or thinning hair. This condition can be easily fixed with the right medication, but be sure to contact your health care provider for the best treatment for you.

Super pale skin, blue-tinged nails
This is your skin telling you that you may be suffering from severe anemia caused by an iron, folate or B12 deficiency, which causes a lack of red blood cell production. This condition will likely present itself by a bluish tint in your mouth and on your gums and lips. It is a common issue, but if it is accompanied by fainting or vomiting blood, you need to consult your health care provider immediately.

Tingling and rash
Just like your skin told you, and all of your friends, that you were suffering from chicken pox as a child by a flashy display of red bumps and itchiness, shingles (also known as Herpes Zoster) is commonly called the adult form of chicken pox. And it’s just as flashy with its display. Shingles appear as a rash of red bumps on one side of your face, neck, trunk or legs. It is a virus caused by stress, infection and by certain medications. It’s actually caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox in children, so be especially wary if you had chicken pox already.

Your skin is always willing to communicate. It often communicates through change of color and sensitivity. Be sure to examine your skin often and keep an eye out for anything it may be trying to say. If you have any questions or concerns, please leave them in the comment box below or call 901-759-2322 to make an appointment with our dermatology staff. 

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Skin Care Tips: What NOT to Put On Your Face


Photo courtesy of flickr user sloverton



Every now and then you may overhear a woman talk about her latest discovery of some amazing new trend, and you might wonder if it is worth trying for yourself. While these trends usually seem to go hand-in-hand with convincing personal testimony, they are not always the best options. Sometimes it is easy to just go along with the crowd, but if you do that you might end up doing some damage to your precious skin.

Here is a list of things that you should avoid putting on your face or use in moderation:

  • Lemons: Just because something comes from the ground does not always mean that it is good for you. Lemons are a citric fruit and they contain acid. This acidic nature can cause inflammation and irritation to your skin. The area you put the lemon on will also become more susceptible to sunburns, and no one wants to walk around with a red face!
  • Hairspray: While getting a little on your face when you are applying it to your hair is not the end of the world, if you were intentionally using it on your face you might end up with a problem. In many cases, it isn’t uncommon for some women to use hairspray as a way to keep their makeup from running if they have oily skin or if they sweat. It may seem like a good idea, but doing this often or using lots of hairspray will only clog your pores, dry out the skin and cause a lot of irritation down the road.  
  • Toothpaste: Many people have heard the claim that toothpaste can help dry out pimples. While toothpaste does possess the ability to dry out the zit, it will also dry out the skin surrounding the applied area. It also has the potential to chemically burn your face, and this is hardly the way you want to go for your chemical peel.
  • Rubbing Alcohol: Alcohol is known as a disinfectant and is commonly used to sterilize your cuts and wounds. Even though popping pimples isn’t the way to go to get rid of them, it isn’t unheard of to rub a cotton ball with alcohol over the pimple after you have popped it. After all, it seems like the perfect win – you ideally get rid of any part of the acne you didn’t get from the popping, and if you have oily skin you also removed the pesky oil. Unfortunately, the alcohol does not only destroy the bacterial DNA. It also destroys the human DNA. This can lead to extra dryness, the buildup of dead cells and, of course, the pimple returning with a vengeance.
  • Body Lotion: OK, it seems odd that this is something that is bad for your face since you’re told that it helps moisturize skin. However, the skin on your face is not as thick and resilient as the skin on the rest of your body. Due to the facial skin being so delicate, it is best to use gentler moisturizers for your face to keep it from being overpowered by thick, fragrant body lotions. Even if your face seems to be drying out and you only have body lotion, resist the temptation!   

Now you know a few things that you should pay more attention to concerning your facial care. Keep in mind that these things can be OK in moderation, so don’t worry if you have used them before. Just be sure to pay close attention to the current trends and make sure they are actually safe for your skin! Do you have any more questions about things to not put on your face? If so, write a comment and we will try and get back to you.